Ah yes, it’s that time again! Time for another panel discussion on art criticism in Chicago. Luckily for y’all, this one is filled with great folks who really know their stuff. AND: it’s been organized in celebration of The Essential New Art Examiner, a compendium edited by our friends Kathryn Born and Terri GriffithÂ of the best writings from the venerable Chicago-based art journal. Born and Griffith will appear on tonight’s panel, along with BAS’ fabulous pal and dapper man-about-town Abraham Ritchie (Chicago editor of ArtSlant), Lori Waxman (Tribune), Jason Foumberg (New City), Steve Ruiz (The Visualist) and Ann Wiens, former New Art Examiner editor, all of whom represent different yet equally vibrant aspects of the Chicago critical scene. The whole shebang is moderated by critic and SAIC faculty member James Yood. So there you have it! Go go go! The panel takes place tonight, Tuesday, November 22nd atÂ 6-8 pm in the Second Floor Ballroom of the MacLean Center (112 S. Michigan Avenue). The full, official-like press release info follows below.

The panel discussion â€œArt Criticism in Chicago: Past, Present, Futureâ€ will occur 6-8 pm on Tuesday, November 22 in the Second Floor Ballroom of the MacLean Center (112 S. Michigan Avenue). Organized in memory of distinguished art critics Kathryn Hixson and Polly Ullrich (both SAIC faculty and alumna), this wide-ranging investigation into the challenges and triumphs in art writing in Chicago also honors the recent publication of The Essential New Art Examiner, a compendium of essays originally printed in the most significant Chicago-based art publication of its era (1973-2002).Â The panel will move forward from that to assess the current state of art criticism in Chicago, both print- and web-based, and analyze the rapidly changing milieu for arts conversation in Chicago.

The panelists are Kathryn Born and Terri Griffith, editors of the â€œThe Essential New Art Examinerâ€, Jason Foumberg of Newcity, Abraham Ritchie from ArtSlant: Chicago, Steve Ruiz from visualist, Lori Waxman from the Chicago Tribune, Ann Wiens, former editor of the NAE, and James Yood, moderator of the panel and former editor of the NAE.Â (Griffith, Waxman, and Yood are members of the SAIC faculty, and Foumberg, Griffith, Ritchie, Waxman and Wiens are SAIC graduates.) The event is free and open to the public, and is supported with the assistance of Lisa Wainwright, Dean of Faculty, Paul Coffey, SAIC Vice Provost, and Candida Alvarez, Dean of Graduate Studies.

When I first moved to Chicago, shortly after the initial shock and depression wore off (KIDDING…just kidding…mostly), I set about exploring what Chicago’s gallery scene had to offer. Because so much exists off the proverbial beaten track, and I moved here with nary an art friend to show me around, there was a short time during which I thought River North was it when it came to art galleries in Chicago. Now, to be sure, there is much to love in River North, but we all know there is far more to Chicago art than one neighborhood’s offerings.

But there’s never been a book or newspaper or website that clearly maps it all out for you. Until now. Chicago Art Map is the brainchild of local artist/writers/fellow BaS team members Kathryn Born and Stephanie Burke, who’ve been slaving away under cover of night for months and months getting this extraordinary tool ready for public beta launch. Not only is the interactive Art Map literally a map that enables you to see what’s happening art-wise in Chicago by searching according to venue type (i.e. alternative or apartment gallery vs. commercial spaces, along with museums and art centers), neighborhood, and even genre (like 20th Century masters, outsider art, painting or furniture/decorative), it’s a magazine too.

A magazine that already has numerous feature articles online and a boatload of reviews, many of which first appeared on Art Talk Chicago. It’s an exciting new development on a number of levels, and as with all new launches they could use your help with working out the bugs. Go on over, click around, use the map to help plan your art weekend, and send Kathryn and Stephanie your kudos and constructive feedback; I know they’ll appreciate it. Have a great weekend everybody.

The question is do Republicans make decent let alone good artists and why are they incapable of making political artwork of merit. Mix that with a bit of background history on the Obama Joker image that came out over 2 weeks ago. It has been discovered that the image was first created by a Chicago History Student at U of I by the name of Firas Alkhateeb who made a faux Time Magazine cover with a photo of Obama photoshoped to look like the Joker. That image was put on his flickr account and then appropriated by a currently unknown person on the west coast and the Time reference was removed and the Tagline “Socialist” was put in it’s place.

The question it seems is what is the role of Art in Politics, does political art have legs to have lasting impact as art or is it limited to only high water marks in history? Then finally what is the problem with Republicans and their inability to make quality political art? Are they too busy drawing paychecks to draw altogether? From one agitator to another, I salute Ms. Born and suggest a 2004 Siduri Sonoma County Pinot Noir which goes well with shoe leather as I well know from experience.